Means for making ferric hydroxide and resulting products



June 13, 1933. E H R LE 1,913,962

MEANS FOR MAKING FERRIC HYDROXIDE AND RESULTING PRODUCTS Filed May 27,1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z4 22 12 my.

a e 'a e 15 INVENTOR Mar/6.

June 13, 1933. A. E. SHARPLES 1,913,962

MEANS FOR MAKING FERRIC HYDROXIDE AND RESULTING PRODUCTS Filed May 27,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '"IIEIIIIIHIHF r I i I a! -wmmm m w INVENTOR t *Itis a Patented .lune13,

PATENT OFFICE.

- 7 ARTHUR'EJSHARIELES, orennw YORK, Y.

1 MEANsFoR MAKINGrEnaIc 'HYDROXIDE AND RESULTING PRODUCTS Applicationfiled May present invention relates to methods and apparatus forv theproduction of ferrichydroxide directly from the basic substances ofiron: and water, and of the other products and by-products resultingfrom the employinent ,of' such methods and apparatus.

It is the object of thepres'ent invention to V devise methods forproducing suchfproducts in a simple "and convenient w ay,"which may bepracticed everywhere that an electric current is'availabl'e, and whichdo notrequire any skill to practice;

It: is als o an object ofthepresent inven-.

tion to devise apparatus for the practice of 15 the methods aforesaid,which. elficient, compact, convenient'to handle, economical to produce,and-which may operate on small quantities."

furtheriobjectfof the presentinvention to provide'electrically prepared,colloidal, ferric hydroxide, in pure form, as well asin'solution ;inwater in combination with other substances, by-products of 7 itsproduction, which solutions possess many desirable chemical andmedicinal properties, such as will be apparent to those skilled in theart to which the present invention relates. p

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating" a preferred'embodiment ofthe apparatus ofthe present invention; one which is wells'uited for thepractice of the methods of thepresent invention, 7 v i r r Fig: 1 is; atop plan View of the apparatus;:

Fig. 2-"is a side elevational' View of the same; a Fig.3 isa transversesectional vie'wof the operating part of the apparatus of the presentinvention; and j Fig. is a cross-sectional line 4:& of Fig.3; and;

Fig.,-5 is a schematic view circuit of the apparatus of the present in=vention;

view takenalong the electric .1980. Serial No. 456,182.

In the accompanying drawings, the nu-" meral'll designates a rectangularplatform or stand of wood or other suitable material, having mountedthereon, atone of its edges, adjacent one corner, the upright panel, 12,of insulating material, which is firmly held in place by means of theangle bars 13" and 14. Fixed securely to the panel 12is an electricmotor, 15, which may be of any kind, adapted to the nature of theelectric current with which it is intended to be used, or a universalmotor, the said motor-15 having an adapter, 16, which carries ashaft,17, on which is mounted the gear wheel, 18.

Mounted also on opposite edges of theplatform 11, are the two facingposts, 19 and 20, having at their'up'per extremities the recesses, 21and 22, respectively, which are adapted to receive the reduced ends, 23and 24, of a cross bar, 25. 20, as well as the cross bar, 25, may be ofThe posts,19 and ,7

metal, such as brass, or of any other suitable of. the'thumb screws, 27'and 28, which pass,

respectively, through the openings provided therefor in the reducedends, 23 and 24, of the cross bar, 25, and into the threaded screw seatsin vthe posts, 19 and 20.

Fixed to the under-side of the cross bar. 25,'is the disc or cover, 29,of an insulating material, such as fibre, which is adapted to serve asacover and fit closelyin the opening of acontainer or jar, 30, of glassor other suitable non-conductive material which will readily hold water,and which is lating flooring 26. Underslung below the cover 29, by meansofthe posts, 31, 32, 33, and'34, and adapted to fit within the jar,

freely and removably placed on the insu- 30, is another circular disc ofnon-conductive material, 35. i

The upper surface of the disc or cover, 29, carries a metal ring, 36,circular in shape, and being of an electro-conductive metal, such ascopper or the like. The 011"- cular ring 36, has a plurality of perforatrodes, 40, Which maybe slipped into and held in position by suchperforations.

.Passing through the center of the crossbar, 25, of the cover, 29, andof the disc, is a freely rotatable shaft, 41, held in posi- 'tion' bymeans of the collar, 42,, fixed there-' to immediately below the" cover,29. This shaft, 41,.isinsulated from the rest ofthe apparatus, except ashereinafter set out, and carries at its upper end agear wheel, 43, whichis adapted to mesh with the gear wheel 18, of the motor, 15 It may herebe.

statedi 'that the posts, '19 and 20, are, so placed. with respect to themotor, 15, tl iat when. the cross bar 25, is placed in positionbetweenflthe posts,'the gear wheel 43, Wlll exactly mesh with the gearwheel, 18, of the motor 15. Itmay also be here stated that the-jar, 30,since itis freelymovable and unattached to any other part'of theapparatus,

maybe readily. placed in position below the cover, 29, before the same1s fixed in place.

. --:Fixed to a flattened or recuced' portion of the shaft, 41,whichportion may be at any POlllt'lOIl the'shaft', between the cover 29.and. the disc,- 35, is an L shaped bar, 44, to

which isattached a spring bar, 45, which extends across'thcshaft, 41,and carries on itspfreeend a contact member, 46. The

spring bar, 45, is sufficiently long so that the contact memberat itsend, will contact and pass successively, each of the electrodes, 40,when theshaft 41, is rotated in the proper direction, The shaft, 41,also serves during suchrota-tion to support the spring bar, 45,

' and to prevent its breaking,

ThGQCOntZlCt member, 46-,jand each of the electrodes, 40, are terminals,in an electric circuit, which w1ll hereinafter be more fully described.The contact member, 46, the

spring bar,;45, and the shaft 41, are brought into the circuit by meansof-the metal, electro conductive ring, 47, set into the cover, 29-,surrounding, and alwaystouching the shaft 41, at its point of entry intothe cover,-

29. The ring, 47 ,is connected by means of the screw, 48, to..the:connecting bar, 49, on theunder side of the cover, 29, whichis-connected, by the screw, 50, tothe electro-com ductive *springcontact member, .51, which contacts, when the cross bar is fixed 1nposltlon, wlththe insulatedterminalpest, 52,

of the electricjcircuit. Similarly, each of the electrodes,40, is alwaysin contact, particularly when pressed by the contact member, 46, withthe ring, 36, which is connected by the screw, 53, to the connectingbar, 54, on the under side of the cover, 29, which is 1n turn connectedby the screw, 55, to the spring contact member, 56, which contacts, whenthe cross bar, 25, is in position, with another insulated terminal post,57, of the electric circuit.

\Vhileit would bep ossible to operate the part j'of'the apparatus justdescribed by rotating the shaft, 41, by any means whatever, I prefer tohave the same turned by an electric motor, which motor I also prefer tohave operate on the same circuit with the rest of the apparatus. Forthat purpose I have devised the electric circuit which isdiagrammaticallyillustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The circuitcommences with the cable, 58, which'enters the platform 11, at theopening, 59, from which it goes to the toggle switch, 60. From theswitch, a wire, not appearing in the drawings, except dia grammatically,leads to a fuse, 62, in a fuse socket, 63, whence another wire, notshown, lea'elsto a bus bar, below the platform, 11.

From the bus bar, 64, the current flows in two parallel circuits. Onecircuit goes to the motor 15, by means of thewire, 65,and thence to thebus bar,'66, from which it goes back to the cable, 58; The other circuitgoes from the bus bar 64, to the terminal post 52, tov the connectingbar, 48, to the disc, 47 to the shaft, 41, to the contact member, 46,which, when themotor operates and turns the shaft, 41, contactsintermittently and successively with each of the electrodes, 40, towhich the current passes. From the electrodes, 40, the current goes tothe ring, 36 to the connecting bar, 53, to the spring. contact bar,,56,to the terminal post,-57, from which itpasses through a resistance coil,67, in'ta. socket, 68, and to the bus bar, 66, and on r 7 It may here bestated, that the resistance coil, 67, may be varied to suit the currentused, and may be single or double, in parallel or in series, and may befixed in the circuitin'any manner. I prefer, however, to have itset in asocket, 68, which is mounted on two parallel bars, 69 and 70, one end ofeach of which rests on the panel, 12, the other ends on the posts, 71and 72. I ,Inpractical operation of the apparatus just described,.thejar, 30, is filled with the desired quantityv of water, which may beplain, filtered or distilled, as may be desired, and placed on theinsulated flooring, 26. The cover, 29, is then placed on'the jar, withthe disc, .35, and'the electrodes, 40, inside the jar, with the contactmember, 46, and a portionof each of the electrodes, at

least, submersed in the water. The jar is then adjustedin position, sothatthecross bar, 25, may be adjusted in position-between the posts, 19'and 20', and vsecuredin position by the thumbscrew's,-27; and 28. Whenthe :bar- '25 is in position, the gear wheels. 43, and,,18, mesh. The-switch '60 'is ther thrown, theimotor, started, and'the sparkingcircuitcharged.

- It may here be stated that the dire'ctior, ofirotationof the motor issuch thatiwhen it operates, the gear wheel 4 3- is turned in such adirection that when the contact member, 46,.is incontactw'ith any ottheelectrodes, 40, the spring bar,45-, is pressed back against the shaft41, which supplies aiful crumv for the spring bar,-which"bends;thespring. bar, and permits the contact member to-Vslippast.- suchelectrode. v

;;Wl1en the contact member connects with any of theelectrodes whilethecurrent is on, an electric spark or arc is produced, and 'as the contactmember rotates and contacts successively with all thaelectrodes, asuccession of intermittent sparks or ar'cs'results; Ijhaveffound thatduring'the sparking or arcing of the iron electr odes, various physi-pcal: and; chemical changestake place, and

' certainnew products result, llVhile the exact nature of all of thechanges isnot clearly understood, nor all Of'lJllG resulting products'or theirproperties definitely known, Ihave found thatat the locationoitheelcctric' spark or .arc, the iron is burned, andis transformed byreaction with r the water, into ferric hydroxide. 'During the process,ozone-in a nascent state, as well yas hydrogen, is produced.

1 Th ferri hydroxide, 4 it; produced,

, goesintosolution in theiwatenuntil the waterbecomes saturated, whenthe ferric by droxide begins to ,form a colloidal solution with thewater. The ozone and hydrogen, indwhatever other products are formedldnning the reaction, also go into solution in the water, until the water,becomes saturated with respect to them. The excess of these substancesescapes.

In the apparatus illustrated in the drawings, wherein the motor has beenreduced and geared to rotate-theshaft 41 at the rate of about tenrevolutions per minute, and where there areten electrodes provided, andone contact member, it has been found that it takes between tw enty andstwenty-five minutes to produce a saturated colloidal so lution'offerric hydroxide, ozone and hydro I gen. vAfter that timethererisprecipitation.

It hasalso been found that the solution thus formed maystand forabouthalf an hour without losing any "of-its properties. 7

The solution thus formed,and g'the various products entering therein,probably be:

cause of'the method of producing them, are

foundto contain'many a dvanta, ,;e s and su perior-ities over thesolution or any of the 7 While the foregoingiis descriptive of thepreferred embodiment of the '7 apparatus of thepresent invention,oftheimethods .of its practice, and ofthe resulting products, it

is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to such'embodimenty;asaobviously, others ,may be made, without the exercise ofthe inventive faculties, and within the of the present invention. a v-lVhatI claim is: a I .1 i v 1. Apparatus of thee-character described,comprising a-containerfor water, means for holding a plurality'ofelectrodes within the saidcontainer, a plurality of iron electrodes,each forming a terminal'inan electric circuit, positioned in the saidelectrode holding means, a contact member forming another terminal inthe said electric circuit, and means to bring the said contact member incontact successively with each of the said electrodes. V v I 2.Apparatus-of the character described,

comprising a container for water,'meansfor holding an electrode withinthe said conta1ner,.an iron electrode, forming a .ter'mi- Vnal in anelectric circuit positioned in the the said electrode.

' "Apparatus of the character described, comprising a containerforwater, means for holding-a plurality of electrodeswithin thev saidcontainer, a plurality of iron electrodes scope each forming a terminalin an electric 'circuit, positioned in the {said electrode holdingmeans, a movable contactmember form inn-another terminal inthe-saildelectric circuit,-and means to; move said contact member tobringitin contact successivelywith each of the "saidfielectrod'es.

5 l; Apparatus of the character described, comprising a container forwater, means for holding a plu'ralit ofelectrodes within the saidcontainer, a plurality of irony electrodes, each forming a terminal inan -electric circuit, positioned in said electrode holding.

means arotatable shaft passing through the center of saidelectrodevholding means. said shaft being in the electric circuitandcarrying a contact member'adapted to rotate with tie shaft and tocontact successively with each of the. said electrodes when thesaidshaft'is'rotated. I 1

5. Apparatus of the character. described, comprising a container forwater,- means for holding a plurality-of electrodes within thesaidIcontainer, a plurality of iron elec', trodes,:.:each forming aterminal in "an "elec-;

trio l circuit, circularly disposed in the said electrode'holding means,azrotatable shaft Dassing through the center of said electrode holdingmeans, said shaft. being in the electric circuitand 'c'arryingacontactmember adapted to rotate with the'said shaftand to contactsuccessively with each of the said electrodes and' intermittentlv makeand break-the electric circuit when the said shaft is rotated. V a t 76.;Apparatus of the character described, comprising a container forwater, m'eansfor holding a pluralitv of electrodes Within the v saidcontainer, a plurality of iron electrodes, each forming a terminal in anelectric C1I' cuit, circularlv disposed in such electrode holding means,a rotatable shaft passing through the center of said electrode holdingmeans; said shaft being connected in the electric circuit and carryinga'contact member adapted to rotate with the said shaft and to contactsuccessively with each of the said electrodes and intermittently makeand "break the electriccircuit', and means to rotate said shaft,suchrotating means comprising a gear carried on therotat ng shaft, saidgear being adapted tomesh with a gear carried on-the shaftof an electricmotor.

8. Apparatus of the character described,

comprising a container for water and associated means for creatingintermittent electric sparks on iron electrodes within the saidcontainer, such means comprising a lid of non-conductive material forthe container, and underslung non-conductive disc attached to the saidlid, acircular ring of GlCtIWCOIlCllIQtiVG material on the upper surfaceof the said lid, said ringbeing connected in an electric circuit,'acorresponding ring of electro-conductive material on the upper surfaceof the said disk, a plurality of perforationsthrough the said lid and rng carried thereon, said perforations being adapted to have a luralityof electrodesinserted therein and to have said electrodes comein contactwith the electro-conductive ring, and a pluralitv of correspondinperforations in the disk ring, such perforations forming seats-fortheendsof the, in-

serted electrodes, a plurality of iron electtrodes. positioned in saidperforations, said electrodes being in the electric circuit, a rotatingshaftpassing through'the center of the lid, such shaft being connectedin the electric circuit and carrying a contact member, which member isada ted to rotate with the shaft and tocontact successively andintermittently with each of the said'electrodes, and intermittently makeand break the electric circuit, and means to rotate the said rotatableshaft. 7

9.1 Apparatus of the characterdescribed, comprising a container adaptedto hold a liquid, means for holding an electrode Withinjthe'saidcontainer, an electrodeformin'g a terminal in an electric circuitpositioned in the said electrode holder,'a contact member forminganother terminal in the said electric circuit, and means to bring thesaid contact member intermittently in contact with the said electrode. r

10. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a container'adapted'to hold a liquid, means for holdinga plurality of electrodeswithin the said container, a plurality of electrodes, each forming aterminal in an electriccircuit, positioned in the saidelectrode holdingmeans, a contactmember forming another terminal in the said electriccircuit, and means to bring the said contact member in contactsuccessively with eachm of the said electrodes.

' 11. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a containeradapted to hold a liquid, means for holding a plurality of electrodeswithin the said container, a plurality of electrodes, each forming aterminal in an electric circuit, positioned in the said electrodeholding means, a movable contactv member in the said container, formingan other terminal in the said electric circuit, and mean to move thesaid contact member to bring it in contact successively with each of thesaid electrodes.

12. Apparatus of the character described, comprising acontainer" adaptedto hold a liquid, means for holding a plurality of elec-- trodes withinthe said container a plurality of electrodes, each forming a terminal inah electric circuit, positioned in the said electrode holding means, arotatable shaft passing through the center of the said electrode holdingmeans, said shaft being iii the said electric circuit and carrying acontact member' adapted to rotate with the shaft and to contactsuccessively witheach of the said electrodes when the said shaft isrotated.

13. Apparatus of the character described,

comprising a container adapted to hold a liquid, means for holding aplurality of electrodes in a circular arrangement, a plurality ofelectrodes pOSltlOIlGCl'lIl thesaid electrode holding 11163118,.621Chforming a terminal in an electric circuit, a rotatable shaft passingthrough the center of the said electrode,

holding means, said shaft being in the said electric circuit andcarrying a contact member adapted to rotate iththe said shaft and tocontact successively with each of the v r said electrodes andintermittently make and break the electriccircuit'when the said shaft isrotated. w a y In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification this 20th'day of May; 1930. 1

r ARTHURE. SHARPLES.

